Psalms 106:20
Psalms 106:20 in Multiple Translations
They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.
And their glory was changed into the image of an ox, whose food is grass.
They replaced their God of glory with a bull that eats grass!
Thus they turned their glory into the similitude of a bullocke, that eateth grasse.
And change their Honour Into the form of an ox eating herbs.
Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
He sent his word, and healed them: and delivered them from their destructions.
Instead of worshiping our glorious God, they started to worship a statue of a bull that eats grass!
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 106:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 106:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יָּמִ֥ירוּ
אֶת
כְּבוֹדָ֑/ם
בְּ/תַבְנִ֥ית
שׁ֝֗וֹר
אֹכֵ֥ל
עֵֽשֶׂב
וַ/יָּמִ֥ירוּ
mûwr
H4171
to change
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
כְּבוֹדָ֑/ם
kâbôwd
H3519
glory
N-cs | Suff
בְּ/תַבְנִ֥ית
tabnîyth
H8403
pattern
Prep | N-fs
שׁ֝֗וֹר
shôwr
H7794
cattle
N-ms
אֹכֵ֥ל
ʼâkal
H398
to eat
V-Qal
עֵֽשֶׂב
ʻeseb
H6212
vegetation
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 106:20
וַ/יָּמִ֥ירוּ
mûwr
H4171
"to change"
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp
To change or exchange something, this word is used in the Bible to describe altering or replacing something. It is used in the book of Genesis to describe the changing of names or circumstances.
Definition: 1) to change, exchange 1a) (Niphal) to be changed 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to change, alter 1b2) to exchange
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, (ex-) change, remove. See also: Leviticus 27:10; Jeremiah 2:11; Psalms 15:4.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
כְּבוֹדָ֑/ם
kâbôwd
H3519
"glory"
N-cs | Suff
Glory refers to great honor or splendor, often used to describe God's majesty, as in Psalm 138:5 where David praises God's glorious name. It can also refer to wealth or abundance, like in Genesis 31:1 where Jacob's wealth is described.
Definition: 1) glory, honour, glorious, abundance 1a) abundance, riches 1b) honour, splendour, glory 1c) honour, dignity 1d) honour, reputation 1e) honour, reverence, glory 1f) glory
Usage: Occurs in 189 OT verses. KJV: glorious(-ly), glory, honour(-able). See also: Genesis 31:1; Psalms 113:4; Psalms 3:4.
בְּ/תַבְנִ֥ית
tabnîyth
H8403
"pattern"
Prep | N-fs
This Hebrew word means a pattern or model, like a blueprint for building something. It appears in Exodus 25:40, describing the pattern for the tabernacle. The idea is to follow a specific design or plan.
Definition: 1) pattern, plan, form, construction, figure 1a) construction, structure 1a1) meaning uncertain 1b) pattern 1c) figure, image (of idols)
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: figure, form, likeness, pattern, similitude. See also: Exodus 25:9; 1 Chronicles 28:12; Psalms 106:20.
שׁ֝֗וֹר
shôwr
H7794
"cattle"
N-ms
This word refers to cattle, like oxen or bulls, used for work, food, or sacrifices, as seen in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: 1) ox, bull, a head of cattle 1a) for plowing, for food, as sacrifice Aramaic equivalent: tor (תּוֹר "bullock" H8450)
Usage: Occurs in 69 OT verses. KJV: bull(-ock), cow, ox, wall (by mistake for H7791 (שׁוּר)). See also: Genesis 32:6; Deuteronomy 15:19; Psalms 69:32.
אֹכֵ֥ל
ʼâkal
H398
"to eat"
V-Qal
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Definition: 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
Usage: Occurs in 703 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. See also: Genesis 2:16; Leviticus 6:9; Numbers 24:8.
עֵֽשֶׂב
ʻeseb
H6212
"vegetation"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means vegetation or grass, representing growth and new life. It is used in Genesis 1:11 to describe the creation of plants and in Psalm 23:2 to describe a peaceful landscape.
Definition: herb, herbage, grass, green plants Aramaic equivalent: a.sav (עֲשַׂב "grass" H6211B)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: grass, herb. See also: Genesis 1:11; Psalms 72:16; Psalms 92:8.
Study Notes — Psalms 106:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 106:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 106:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 106:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 106:20
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 106:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
- Sermons on Psalms 106:20
Context — Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good
18Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked.
19At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.
20They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.
21They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt, 22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 2:11 | Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. |
| 2 | Exodus 20:4–5 | You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, |
| 3 | Romans 1:22–23 | Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. |
| 4 | Psalms 89:17 | For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted. |
| 5 | Isaiah 40:18–25 | To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? To one bereft of an offering who chooses wood that will not rot, who seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple? Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble. “To whom will you liken Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. |
Psalms 106:20 Summary
This verse means that the people of Israel traded their relationship with the one true God, who is their Glory, for a fake god made of metal, shaped like an ox that eats grass. This is a picture of how we can exchange what is truly valuable and glorious for something worthless and earthly, as seen in Romans 1:23. We can apply this to our own lives by remembering that God is our Glory and our salvation, and that we should not trade our relationship with Him for anything else, as warned in 2 Corinthians 4:4. By keeping our eyes fixed on God and His works, we can avoid the temptation to exchange our Glory for something lesser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to exchange Glory for an image?
In Psalms 106:20, exchanging Glory for an image means trading the true and living God for a man-made idol, as seen in the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32:1-6, and this is a form of idolatry condemned in Deuteronomy 5:8-9.
Why is the ox described as 'grass-eating'?
The description of the ox as 'grass-eating' emphasizes its ordinary and earthly nature, highlighting the absurdity of worshiping a creature that eats grass instead of the all-powerful and glorious God, as seen in Psalms 106:20 and Romans 1:23.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?
This verse is part of a larger narrative in Psalms 106, which recounts the history of Israel's rebellion and sin, including their idolatry and forgetfulness of God's works, as seen in Psalms 106:18-22 and Psalms 78:40-42.
What is the significance of 'their Glory' in this verse?
The phrase 'their Glory' refers to the God of Israel, who is their glory and their salvation, as seen in Isaiah 58:8 and Psalms 3:3, and exchanging this Glory for an idol is a grave sin that leads to spiritual darkness and separation from God, as warned in 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Reflection Questions
- What are some modern-day idols that I may be exchanging for the true Glory of God?
- How can I ensure that I am not forgetting the great works of God in my life, as Israel did in the wilderness?
- What are some ways that I can practically worship and glorify God, rather than created things or earthly desires?
- In what ways can I be mindful of the temptation to exchange the Glory of God for something lesser, and how can I resist this temptation?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 106:20
Thus they changed their glory,.... God, who is glorious in all the perfections of his nature, and is glory itself, and was the glory of these people; it was their greatest honour that they had
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 106:20
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: -Three transgressions of Israel in the wilderness are detailed, rising in gradation of moral guilt, without respect to time: (1) Their
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
Changed, as far as in them lay, and in respect of their worship. Their glory; their God, who was indeed their glory; for they had this just occasion of triumphing and glorying over all the nations of the world; that whereas all other nations worshipped stocks and stones, or the heavenly bodies, or dead men, they only worshipped the living and true God, who was present and in covenant with them, and with them only. Into the similitude of an ox; into the golden image of an ox or calf. That eateth grass; which is so far from feeding his people, as the true God did the Israelites, that he must be fed by them. And yet the image of such a creature was preferred by them, before the all-sufficient and ever-blessed God, which was an evidence of their horrid contempt of God, and also of their prodigious folly and stupidity.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
Psalms 106:20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.Ver. 20. Thus they changed their glory] i.e. Their God, Romans 1:23, the Creator for a contemptible creature. Of an ox that eateth grass] Tunc stercora egerit, et multum inquinatur, as R. Solomon here glosseth. They pretended not to worship the calf, but God in the calf, as did also Jebu, 2 Kings 10:16; 2 Kings 10:29 2 Chronicles 11:15, and as the idolatrous Papists do at this day. See Exodus 32:5-6. Yet the text here saith, "They worshipped the molten image, they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox." And although some of the Rabbis would excuse this gross idolatry of their forefathers, yet others, more wise, bewail it, and say that there is an ounce of this golden calf in all their present sufferings.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
(20) Their glory—i.e., Jehovah, as shown by Jeremiah 2:11. Similitude.—This is also a Deuteronomic word (Deuteronomy 4:16; Deuteronomy 4:18), meaning originally “structure,” from a root meaning “to build,” and so “form,” “model.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
Verse 20. Thus they changed their glory] That is, their God, who was their glory; and they worshipped an ox in his stead. See the use St Paul makes of this, Romans 1:23; see also the note there. See Clarke on Romans 1:23. The incorruptible God was thus served by all the heathen world.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 106:20
20. So they exchanged their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. Jehovah was the glory of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:6-8; Deuteronomy 10:21); and this spiritual invisible God they bartered for the likeness of an animal, such as they were forbidden to make (Deuteronomy 4:16-18; Exodus 20:4). Cp. Jeremiah 2:11. The reading their glory is reckoned as one of the eighteen Tiqqûnç Sôpherîm[60] or ‘corrections of the scribes,’ and is said to stand for ‘his glory.’ It is disputed whether the term means that the scribes actually altered the text from motives of reverence, or held that his glory was what the Psalmist would have written, had he not purposely avoided it as an indecorous expression. It is noteworthy that some MSS of the LXX (àc.a ART) read his glory, and to this form of the text St Paul refers in Romans 1:23. The Targ. gives ‘the glory of their Lord.’ [60] See Ginsburg, Introd. to the Heb. Bible, pp. 347 ff., who holds the view that the Scribes altered the text: and Barnes in the journal of Theol. Studies, i. 387 ff., who holds that the so-called corrections are interpretations not readings.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 106:20
Thus they changed their glory - Their true glory - the proper object of worship - God. Compare the notes at Romans 1:23. They “exchanged” that as an object of worship for the image of an ox.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 106:20
20. Their glory—The cloud of light, or fire, in which God appeared to them, as Exodus 16:7; Exodus 16:10; Exodus 24:16-17; Deuteronomy 5:24. In all these appearances “they saw no similitude.” Deuteronomy 4:12; Deuteronomy 4:15.
Sermons on Psalms 106:20
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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God Changeth Not by Joshua Daniel | In this sermon, Joshua Daniel discusses the need for a revival of faith and a return to God's unchanging truth. He emphasizes that while God and the gospel remain constant, it is o |
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Wild Donkeys by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the need for deliverance from the spirit of a wild donkey, which represents lust and sinful desires. He emphasizes the importance of repentan |
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Return From Backsliding by Kjell Olsen | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the first evil that God accuses his people of committing. He describes God as the exclusive fountain of living water and laments that his peop |
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It Began With Repentance by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes that the church's foundation was built on repentance, as seen during Peter's sermon at Pentecost, which united believers in love and evangelism. However, |
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Are You Saved? by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Exodus 20:1-7 and emphasizes the importance of having a personal relationship with God. He highlights that God owns us and desires our compl |
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Where Does Passion Come From? by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the problem of taking our victories over problems and putting them aside, thinking we no longer need God. He emphasizes the constant need for |
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David and Goliath by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, which is described as the glory of all lands on earth. He emphasizes the importance of cas |